Paul Louis Metzger

Evangelical Zen is part Augustine's Confessions and part Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Here Paul Louis Metzger, an Evangelical Christian theologian, reflects on his spiritual journey--an inner pilgrimage of sorts that weaves through a physical forty-day journey with his family to Japan. The experiences of that journey, the beauties of Japan, its culture, and its religion become for him a lens on a deeper quest: here he is searching for and, he believes, finding a global humanity in conversation with the late Zen Buddhist priest Kyogen Carlson, his Buddhist friend. This second edition includes a new foreword by esteemed missionary statesman and scholar, Thomas John Hastings, a new introduction and new concluding essay by the author, and an afterword by the acclaimed Buddhist author, Sallie Jiko Tisdale.

Evangelical Zen is part Augustine's Confessions and part Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Here Paul Louis Metzger, an Evangelical Christian theologian, reflects on his spiritual journey--an inner pilgrimage of sorts that weaves through a physical forty-day journey with his family to Japan. The experiences of that journey, the beauties of Japan, its culture, and its religion become for him a lens on a deeper quest: here he is searching for and, he believes, finding a global humanity in conversation with the late Zen Buddhist priest Kyogen Carlson, his Buddhist friend. This second edition includes a new foreword by esteemed missionary statesman and scholar, Thomas John Hastings, a new introduction and new concluding essay by the author, and an afterword by the acclaimed Buddhist author, Sallie Jiko Tisdale.

We live in a culture of commodification. People are too often defined by what they do or own; they're treated as means to an end or cogs in a machine. What goes missing is a deep sense of personhood--the belief that all humans are unique subjects with inherent worth and the right to self-determination in authentic communion with others. In a world dominated by things, Paul Louis Metzger argues, we must work hard to account for one another's personhood. We need to cultivate relational structures that honor every human's dignity in vital interpersonal community. The theological and philosophical framework known as personalism can help guide us toward such a culture. Drawing from a wide range of thought leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Pope John Paul II, Metzger presents a personalist moral vision founded on the Christian ideals of faith, hope, and love. He demonstrates how this moral compass can help us navigate a pluralistic world by applying it to a variety of pressing ethical issues, including abortion, genetic engineering, immigration, drone warfare, and more. Ultimately human personhood begins with the personal, triune God, who invites us to live more fully as human beings. When we refuse to reduce our fellow humans--and ourselves--to mere abstractions or objects, we follow the example of Jesus in honoring the value of every person and of creaturely life as a whole.

God loves just economies, but sadly the invisible hand of the market has chiseled huge cracks in our communities. Fortunately, Jesus announced freedom for the poor and oppressed, and by taking on his mantle we have a role to play in helping establish just economies here and now Jesus on Main Street provides church leaders and church planters with a broad overview of Community Economic Development (CED), with practical steps to lead your church in following Jesus into those cracks. You'll be equipped with the CED "toolkit" including microbusinesses, makerspaces, business incubators, worker cooperatives, workforce development, commercial district revitalization, locality development, anchor institutions, and accountable development. A robust assessment and planning guide specifically for churches will help you create a collaborative CED strategy rooted in God's love for people and justice. For churches looking to bring healing to their local economies, CED builds capacity for long-term equitable economic growth, catalyzing a movement of business creation, employment, and job creation that does not leave anybody behind. This is the promise and challenge of CED as we follow Jesus down Main Street and explore what good news for local economies looks like

God loves just economies, but sadly the invisible hand of the market has chiseled huge cracks in our communities. Fortunately, Jesus announced freedom for the poor and oppressed, and by taking on his mantle we have a role to play in helping establish just economies here and now Jesus on Main Street provides church leaders and church planters with a broad overview of Community Economic Development (CED), with practical steps to lead your church in following Jesus into those cracks. You'll be equipped with the CED "toolkit" including microbusinesses, makerspaces, business incubators, worker cooperatives, workforce development, commercial district revitalization, locality development, anchor institutions, and accountable development. A robust assessment and planning guide specifically for churches will help you create a collaborative CED strategy rooted in God's love for people and justice. For churches looking to bring healing to their local economies, CED builds capacity for long-term equitable economic growth, catalyzing a movement of business creation, employment, and job creation that does not leave anybody behind. This is the promise and challenge of CED as we follow Jesus down Main Street and explore what good news for local economies looks like

Various Christian traditions mark their calendars to reflect the biblical and ecclesial narrative and enhance public worship. Such efforts safeguard against secularization's encroachment in the church's life. Setting the Spiritual Clock serves as a guide and traveling companion for the liturgical year, which circles the glorious Son as he breaks through the secular eclipse.

Various Christian traditions mark their calendars to reflect the biblical and ecclesial narrative and enhance public worship. Such efforts safeguard against secularization's encroachment in the church's life. Setting the Spiritual Clock serves as a guide and traveling companion for the liturgical year, which circles the glorious Son as he breaks through the secular eclipse.

Evangelicals and other conservative Christians of the twenty-first century face enormous challenges in the pluralistic public square, not least with Muslims and atheists. Contrary to biblical injunctions to ""keep in step with the Spirit"" (Gal 5:25b) and to love our neighbors as ourselves (e.g., Matt 22:37-40; Luke 10:25-37)--both of which involve not only behavioral but also important affective elements--we often harbor deep-seated antipathies toward atheists and adherents of other religions. While such feelings are at times justified and help us cope with conflict-related tragedies, they are also often baseless, misconstrued, and counterproductive, priming us to avoid religious others, support discriminatory policies against them, and even confront them in verbal or physical ways. The purpose of this volume is to offer an academically informed yet practically oriented collection of essays that challenges and encourages Christians to engage their religious neighbors in a much more loving, compassionate, hopeful, and courageous--indeed, orthopathic--manner, whether in the realm of politics, in debate and conference venues, on the mission field, or in their own homes, schools, churches, and neighborhoods. As such, a set of reflection and discussion questions is included to facilitate individual and/or group study.

Evangelicals and other conservative Christians of the twenty-first century face enormous challenges in the pluralistic public square, not least with Muslims and atheists. Contrary to biblical injunctions to ""keep in step with the Spirit"" (Gal 5:25b) and to love our neighbors as ourselves (e.g., Matt 22:37-40; Luke 10:25-37)--both of which involve not only behavioral but also important affective elements--we often harbor deep-seated antipathies toward atheists and adherents of other religions. While such feelings are at times justified and help us cope with conflict-related tragedies, they are also often baseless, misconstrued, and counterproductive, priming us to avoid religious others, support discriminatory policies against them, and even confront them in verbal or physical ways. The purpose of this volume is to offer an academically informed yet practically oriented collection of essays that challenges and encourages Christians to engage their religious neighbors in a much more loving, compassionate, hopeful, and courageous--indeed, orthopathic--manner, whether in the realm of politics, in debate and conference venues, on the mission field, or in their own homes, schools, churches, and neighborhoods. As such, a set of reflection and discussion questions is included to facilitate individual and/or group study.

Beatitudes, Not Platitudes shows that the Beatitudes are not overused, well-worn answers to the question, ""What would Jesus do?"" Rather, they are undervalued and hardly touched claims that transform our destinies. More than spiritual nuggets for personal devotion, practical advice, or propositions to be believed, the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 envision and entail a reorientation of the good life in view of Jesus' kingdom. Jesus' teachings reveal to us that living our best purpose-driven life now involves dying to self and the world system, and dying for our enemies. Ideal for group study, this series of meditations on each of the Beatitudes, followed by cultural reflections and study questions, helps to bridge the gaps between personal devotion and societal revolution, the academic and the practical, the ancient and the contemporary. All of us want to be happy, to be well and blessed, and esteemed with honor. However, we look for happiness, wellness, blessing, and honor in different places and with mixed results. This book helps us reimagine the good life by taking a fresh look at the Beatitudes as citizens of Jesus' ever-new kingdom order. (Designer--Please use the first three names on this list for the back cover, the rest will go in the front cover) ""I was most impressed with Paul Louis Metzger's not only evangelical but also social-justice reading and interpretation of Jesus' powerful Beatitudes. May his tribe increase "" --Frederick Dale Bruner, author of Matthew: A Commentary ""For preachers and teachers who value Scripture, Paul Louis Metzger provides a robust theological reading of Scripture rooted in sound exegesis. In addition to the careful reading of the biblical text, Metzger offers historical, theological, social, and practical insights that call us to actually embody Scripture instead of just talking about it."" --Soong-Chan Rah, author of The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity ""Beatitudes Not Platitudes reveals what we are missing when we bypass Jesus' Sermon on the Mount or minimize its meaning to avoid distressing ourselves. Paul Louis Metzger implores us to take a closer look and ponder Jesus' words. Jesus means to jolt us out of the status quo--even our American Christian status quo--so we will hunger for and cultivate the values of his kingdom. A wise and important book for such a time as this "" --Carolyn Custis James, author of The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules, and Malestrom: Manhood Swept into the Currents of a Changing World ""In clear and accessible prose, Paul Louis Metzger walks us through Jesus' simple but revolutionary introduction to the upside-down kingdom of God . . . With the heart of a friend and the mind of a scholar, Metzger guides us through the cultural setting and contemporary relevance for each of Jesus' beatitudes. This highly readable book provides a winsome vision for any Christian hungering to walk afresh in the way of Jesus. But it's also an exceptional resource for preachers and teachers who want to lead their people through this potent and beautiful section of Scripture."" --Matt Woodley, editor of Preaching Today, author of The Gospel of Matthew: God with Us ""Beatitudes, Not Platitudes is one of the few books in recent memory that meets more than one need in the church today. It is theologically informative and devotionally inspirational, while at the same time, it encourages us to be more sensitive to the social challenges that many are struggling to overcome. Paul Louis Metzger has written a masterpiece for our times."" --Jimi Calhoun, Lead Pastor, Bridging Austin, author of A Story of Rhythm and Grace: What the Church Can Learn from Rock and Roll About Healing the Racial Divide ""The Beatitudes are spiritual treasures. They are like diamonds that never lose their value or beauty with the passing of time. However, too often our church theologies and cultural challenges gloss them over with a thick venee

Beatitudes, Not Platitudes shows that the Beatitudes are not overused, well-worn answers to the question, ""What would Jesus do?"" Rather, they are undervalued and hardly touched claims that transform our destinies. More than spiritual nuggets for personal devotion, practical advice, or propositions to be believed, the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 envision and entail a reorientation of the good life in view of Jesus' kingdom. Jesus' teachings reveal to us that living our best purpose-driven life now involves dying to self and the world system, and dying for our enemies. Ideal for group study, this series of meditations on each of the Beatitudes, followed by cultural reflections and study questions, helps to bridge the gaps between personal devotion and societal revolution, the academic and the practical, the ancient and the contemporary. All of us want to be happy, to be well and blessed, and esteemed with honor. However, we look for happiness, wellness, blessing, and honor in different places and with mixed results. This book helps us reimagine the good life by taking a fresh look at the Beatitudes as citizens of Jesus' ever-new kingdom order. (Designer--Please use the first three names on this list for the back cover, the rest will go in the front cover) ""I was most impressed with Paul Louis Metzger's not only evangelical but also social-justice reading and interpretation of Jesus' powerful Beatitudes. May his tribe increase "" --Frederick Dale Bruner, author of Matthew: A Commentary ""For preachers and teachers who value Scripture, Paul Louis Metzger provides a robust theological reading of Scripture rooted in sound exegesis. In addition to the careful reading of the biblical text, Metzger offers historical, theological, social, and practical insights that call us to actually embody Scripture instead of just talking about it."" --Soong-Chan Rah, author of The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity ""Beatitudes Not Platitudes reveals what we are missing when we bypass Jesus' Sermon on the Mount or minimize its meaning to avoid distressing ourselves. Paul Louis Metzger implores us to take a closer look and ponder Jesus' words. Jesus means to jolt us out of the status quo--even our American Christian status quo--so we will hunger for and cultivate the values of his kingdom. A wise and important book for such a time as this "" --Carolyn Custis James, author of The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules, and Malestrom: Manhood Swept into the Currents of a Changing World ""In clear and accessible prose, Paul Louis Metzger walks us through Jesus' simple but revolutionary introduction to the upside-down kingdom of God . . . With the heart of a friend and the mind of a scholar, Metzger guides us through the cultural setting and contemporary relevance for each of Jesus' beatitudes. This highly readable book provides a winsome vision for any Christian hungering to walk afresh in the way of Jesus. But it's also an exceptional resource for preachers and teachers who want to lead their people through this potent and beautiful section of Scripture."" --Matt Woodley, editor of Preaching Today, author of The Gospel of Matthew: God with Us ""Beatitudes, Not Platitudes is one of the few books in recent memory that meets more than one need in the church today. It is theologically informative and devotionally inspirational, while at the same time, it encourages us to be more sensitive to the social challenges that many are struggling to overcome. Paul Louis Metzger has written a masterpiece for our times."" --Jimi Calhoun, Lead Pastor, Bridging Austin, author of A Story of Rhythm and Grace: What the Church Can Learn from Rock and Roll About Healing the Racial Divide ""The Beatitudes are spiritual treasures. They are like diamonds that never lose their value or beauty with the passing of time. However, too often our church theologies and cultural challenges gloss them over with a thick venee

We live in a multifaith society: an ever-growing, diverse cultural climate, where no religion is viewed as having a monopoly on truth. It is important when that Christ-followers not only share the Word of God but also listen and learn how to interact meaningfully with those of diverse perspectives as we engage in life’s most important conversations. Connecting Christ encourages believers to be not only better communicators and witnesses but also listeners to people of other worldviews and traditions—skills that are crucial in defending against today’s negative connotations and ineffective approaches associated with Christian evangelism. With extensive commentary from leaders of various walks of faith and life — from Judaism to Islam and Buddhism to atheism —theologian and author Dr. Paul Louis Metzger offers a spiritual compass to help navigate the intimidating yet critical dialogue of conveying our faith in Christ. Filled with practical guidance and insight into controversial topics, such as hell, fascism, and homosexuality, Connecting Christ reveals that there is a way of evangelizing that is neither disengaging monologue nor silent, lifestyle ministry but is, instead, an approach for evangelism and dialogue to go hand-in-hand. We must remove ourselves as the stumbling block to salvation for others and embrace a way to proclaim the uncommon, compassionate God revealed in Jesus Christ—the Savior this world is dying to know.